Lubricating journal-bearings.



No. 808,388. PATENTED DEG.26,1905. W. LAHEY.

LUBRIGATING JOURNAL BEARINGS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1903- I I H n I 463 1A5 A6 & /5' M -Z/ zz- IWITNESSES- INNTDR.

PATENT QFFICE.

INILLIAM LAHEY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LUBRICATING JOURNAL-BEARINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed September 16, 1903. Serial No, 173,367.

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM LAHEY, of Lynn, in the county of Essex andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lubricating Journal- Bearings, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to means for lubricating a journal or shaftbearing; and the novelty resides in a device or construction for varyingthe flow of lubricant as desired, such device being embodied in atapering capillary member adjustable in a channel so as to fill thecross-section of said channel to a greater or less extent, and thus givea variation to the flow of lubricant.

The invention is further embodied in a construction of bearing-block incombination with the above-mentioned feature, as more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of ashaft mounted in journal-bearings constructed according to my invention,one of the bearings being shown in section. Fig. 2 represents atransverse section thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 on an enlargedscale. Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the capillarydevice at a dilferent adjustment.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, 10 is a shaft or journal mounted in bearings 11 11, theconstruction of one of the bearings being shown in detail in thedrawings. Said bearing as illustrated comp'rises'a U-shaped pillow-block12, supported in a frame or bed-plate 13 and shaped to conform to thelower side of the shaft 10, and an upper bearing-block 1 1, shaped toconform to the upper side of the shaft and clamped, by means of bolts 1515, between the arms of the pillow-block 12. The block is formed withvertically-elongated slots 16, 0ccupied by said bolts, whereby saidblock may be vertically adjusted for wear.

'ithinthe block 14: is formed a chamber 17, having a movable cover 18and adapted to contain waste or other absorbent material 19, saturatedwith oil or other liquid lubricant. The chamber 17 communicates at itsends by means of vertical ducts 20 with a horizontal groove 21, parallelwith the shaft 10 and opening on the semicylindrical bearing-face of theblock 1 1. The walls of said groove are preferably slightly inclined tothe axis of the shaft, as indicated in Fig. 1, thus making the groovetaper slightly from the right-hand duct 20 to the left-hand duct 20.

22is an elongated flexible capillary member made of suitable material,such as wicking, formed into a substantially rectangular loop whose endsoccupy the chamber 17, the lower side and two vertical sides of saidmember occupying, respectively, the groove 21 and the ducts 20. Byshifting the capillary member 22 longitudinally of itself it is obviousthat said member will fill the cross-section of the groove 21 to agreater or less extent, different adjustments of the capillary memberbeing indicated in Figs. 2 and3, respectively. When the capillary memberentirely fills the groove, the capillary action is somewhat restrictedand the flow of lubricant to the shaft 10 diminishes, and, on thecontrary, when the capillary member fills the groove to a less extentthe flow of lubricant is increased. Thus it becomes possible to vary theflow as desired for obtaining the requisite degree of lubrication of theshaft and also to compensate for difierences in the viscosity of thelubricant. By adjusting the block lt Vertically the groove containingthe capillary member may be adjusted toward the shaft to compensate forwear and maintain the capillary member in proper proximity to the shaft.

The pillow-block is preferably made of Babbitt metal cast in a singleU-shaped piece, including the bearing and arms, as indicated,

and the adjustable lubricating-block is preferably made of wood. Thisarrangement of pillow-block and adjustable lubricating-block materiallyreduces the expense of construction.

A convenient method of constructing the capillary member 22 is to makeit with a tapered core of suitable material, such as leather, with acapillary sheath of wicking or the like, as indicated.

I claim- 1. A lubricating device comprising a capillary member and ablock having a grooved face, the groove in said block forming a holdingmember for the capillary member, one of said members being tapered forthe purpose set forth.

2. A shaft-bearing having a tapered channel formed in its surface, and atapered capillary lubricating member mounted in said channel andadjustable longitudinally thereof.

3. A lubricating shaft-bearing having a tapered groove in itsshaft-bearing surface and having a chamber for lubricant, there beingducts connecting said groove and chamber,and a longitudinally-adjustabletapered capillary member in the form of a loop occupying said groove,chamber and ducts.

4. In a shaft-bearing, the combination of a shaft, a bearing-blockadjustable toward and from said shaft and formed With a tapered grooveadjacent the shaft, and a tapered capillary lubricating member in saidgroove.

5. In a shaft-bearing, the combination of a shaft, a substantiallyU-shaped pillow-block therefor, a bearing-block mounted between the armsof said pillow-block and adjustable toward and from the shaft, saidbearing-block being formed with a groove adjacent the shaft, a capillarymember occupying said groove, and one or more bolts passing through thearms of said pillow-block and through said bearing-block for clampingsaid block and arms together in difierent adjustments.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature in presence of tWoWitnesses.

WILLIAM LAHEY.

Witnesses:

A. C, RATIGAN, (3. F. BROWN.

